Vehicle Access Platforms

The work at height regulations advocate a simple 3-tier hierarchy of avoid, prevent control. In most cases avoiding working at height around a vehicle is impossible with maintenance, loading and unloading being common issues.

With over 3 million people in Great Britain working on or around a vehicle as part of their regular job, working at height in the automotive industry is something that Planet Platforms regularly has to provide solutions for. Every year the statistics show hundreds are seriously injured as a result of falling from their vehicle with over two-thirds of these accidents happening to non-drivers, indicating that there is room for improvement.

However, with different companies throughout the UK deploying Planet Platforms bespoke access platforms shows that many within the industry have addressed safe working at height. They include:

The majority of Planet Platforms vehicle access platforms are manufactured from aluminium. It’s lightweight, high strength and overall flexibility means it is the ideal material. Set on low-friction castors the mobility of these systems mean they can be positioned by just one person.

Decking options also cater for the different working environments and conditions. Non-slip phenol birch ply is the typical finish applied to most of our systems. Where the pooling of liquid, such as water from washing, could present a slip hazard high-grip fibreglass mesh decking lets liquids simply pass through.

Where periods of longer and higher work are the tasks faced, fixed gantry systems offer the safer solution. They can be single or double-tiered, single or multiple bay with access steps configurations to suit the particular depot environment.

Steel is the preferred material of choice as it offers the increased strength and rigidity to accommodate the larger and higher spans needed to reach, for example, the tops of double-decker buses and coaches.